Medical drapes have been used in a variety of applications. For example, such drapes are often used to cover a patient during an operating procedure. These drapes come in a variety of styles and configurations to meet the requirements of particular operating procedures and are typically disposable. In general, such drapes include a sheet provided with an opening or fenestration through which a physician can gain access to a patient (i.e., the operating site). Drapes used for urological applications, such as cystoscopy or Trans Uretheral Resection of the Prostate (T.U.R.P.), are generally shaped in the form of a "T". During urological procedures, the patient is typically in a reclined position with raised knees. The top horizontal section (i.e., abdominal cover) of the T-shaped sheet is draped across the patient's torso and the lower vertical section (i.e., T-section) of the sheet falls between the patient's legs. At least one fenestration is located in the T-section through which the operating procedure is performed. When urological procedures such as cystoscopy or T.U.R.P. are to be performed, a filter formed in the T-section is used to separate out solids from liquid expelled by the patient. One type of filter generally used includes a fine screened filter covering a second fenestration formed in the T-section. U.S. Pat. No. 4,059,104 discloses such a urology T-drape.
Tables used during urological procedures often include a drain frame mounted to the foot of the table. A separate drainage bag is secured to the drain frame. One end of a hose is typically fixed to the drainage bag with the other end of the hose connected to some form of receptacle, like a reservoir or a sewer drain. The hose is often connected by inserting the other end into an opening in the reservoir or into the sewer drain. The patient is positioned on the table such that when the patient is covered with the T-drape, the filter portion of the T-section is positioned over the drainage bag. Liquids expelled from the patient are intended to flow from the first fenestration down over the drape to and through the second fenestration and into the drainage bag. From there the liquid passes through the hose and is collected in the reservoir or drained to the sewer. The end of the hose is susceptible to being inadvertently pulled out of the reservoir opening or sewer drain. The hose would thus have to be re-connected to the reservoir or sewer drain. In addition, the liquid expelled from the patient could end up flowing onto the floor of the operating room or elsewhere.
Drain frames are traditionally considered nonsterile. Therefore, someone other than the physician typically attaches the drainage bag to the frame. Drapes, on the other hand, are traditionally considered sterile. Thus, after the drainage bag has been attached to the frame, the physician can unfold and deploy the drape over the patient as previously described without the risk of becoming nonsterile. Such procedures would be less expensive if the need for someone other than the physician to assemble the drainage system could be avoided.
During such urological and other medical procedures, it is important to capture as much of the fluid expelled from the patient as possible. One reason is to protect the physician and the medical support personnel from the expelled fluid. With the spread of the AIDS virus, the need to contain the expelled bodily fluids of a patient and cleaning-up after such procedures takes on even greater importance today. Another reason is to insure that all the expelled fluid is screened in order to capture any expelled solids for further examination. Capturing more of the expelled fluid also makes clean-up after the procedure easier, less time consuming and more cost effective. Cleaning-up the operating room faster enables more operating procedures to be performed in a given time.